Boiler feed-water apparatus



.April 22, 1930. R. l.. DENNlsoN BOILER EED WATER 'APPARATUS AFiled Jan. lO 1927 April 2z, 1930.

R. L. DENNlsoN BOILER FEED WATER APPARATUS Filed Jan. l0, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Patenteclpr. ,22,r`r l l, 'Y i. l i 'Y y Bonner 1L. DENNIsoN, or KANSAS CITY, radisson-RI" y Bornnn'rnnD-wn'rnnArreimrus Y Y I Application siedjJim-aryjlo', 19.27. siertuin.'160,270.Y This". invention relates YWater feeding they arefreely adap'tedtoy expand vertically means forsteamboilers. asthey yare alternately lledwith steam and",v

, important object of the invention is to water.

v utlllze the boiler pressure for equalizing the f Other objects and'advantages of the inven-y 5 pressure above and jbelowbodies of waterto` tion will become apparent during'the course l"'55 `i'be fed to the boiler whereby thewatermay ofthe following description.' j

be fed into the bottoniofthe boiler. In the drawings l'have shown one embodifurther object is to providewaterfeedment ofthe invention. In this showing:

ingmeansfof the type referredto'whereinf Figure lis a'sideelevation, 1

,v :10 fthe height of a column of waterland afloating yFigure 2 is-acentral-vertical sectional view "60V pistonfis utilized or'feedingfthewater to the through o'ne'othe' cylinders, 1 f Y boiler, the steam pressure in theboil'er beingf Figure' 3 ris' a vdetail perspective oonefoiY l vutilized for equalizing the pressure above and the Shfillb Valves, I 'o v i belowthe' water. Figurellis a viewsiinilarto Figure 2 taken l5 A further object is to providesJ cylinder on a'plane passing through, the axes of both into ,which successive charges ofwater are cylinders, Y V, adaptedtoow, and which charges are adapt- Figure 5 lis adetail section on line 5-5 of v edrto be supplied rtothe boiler after the cyl Figure 2, and, l s inder issuccessively filled; f Figure 6 is a similar'viewon line 6 6 of 29 f A further'object: is toprovidea'pair'of Figure'2. oylinderseach provided withk affloatin'gpis- Referring tothe drawings the numeral 10 ton, one of lthe pistons Abei1 1gn1o vable vupdesignates a steamy boiler of the: usual 'conwardly under the iniuence of water pressure struction having a feed water in1et;pip l 11` to till theV cylinder while the other piston is controlled by' ajcheclry valve 12.2' The boiler W25 movable. downwardly, to' combinewith the also is'provi'dedwith-aA dome landthe usual weight of the rwaterinY the cylinderto feed water vgauges lil.` A steam pipe 1 5 is con'-l 'the water tothe boiler. nected at one end-to the ,idoinev 13, asf'shown A 'urther Objectis to provide'autom'atie in'y `liigure 1, for a purposetobe described.- f kvmeans vfor alternatelyconnecting the upper Referring toy Figures Al, 2" and 4, thev nuf im ends of the cylinderstothe boiler toderiveY meral 16 designates apa'ir of'preferably ver- 8P Y the-lower ends of the cylinders are freevfromcation with thefpipe v15. vThe depression 22 steam pressure therefrom, ythe cylinder distical" parallel cylinders Aarranged'`somewhat` v connected :from the boiler beingautomaticalabovev the'level of thelboilefr for a purposeto ly connected to a source of water supply.` .s be described.l f I Each .of the cylinders is;fpr o`- :A1 furtherobject is" to, provide a plurality" vided atv'its lowerend with a tapered-head 17 Y l,ferred to provided with means for taking care valve 12, by voutlet' pipes. 18 through which offthealternate, eXpansion'K-and contraction water'is adapted? to be supplied to theoboiler.v K j voi'each cylinder asfit isflled with steam and .s 'Th'llppl ends ofthecylinders are 'closed and connected toeaChother'by ahead indiwater.

f eedjcylinders yofthe type referredto rigidhead is'providedwitha cylinder 2O in which f ly connected at their upper ,ends by suitable av slide valve 2l Vis mounted to reciprocate@ heads .enclosing valve meohanisms'for, alter- As v shou'fn in Figure 6, the end of the pipe 15 ,5 nately connectingfthe upper. ends voi vthe cylcommunicates with the cylinder 2O substan-V inders tothe boiler toderive steam'thereyti'ally centrally.thereogjTheslide,valve 21 5 from. Y. V.is provided substantially',centrally 'thereof A'urther Objectis toprovide an apparawith an annular depression 22 1":or'ming1a`- tus of the character just referred to wherein steam passage which'is in constant communi- A 35 ofi-'water 4feedingV cylindersovtheitypereconnected Vwiththepipe.1l through-the check 285 l 40 further: Objectis-to provide a pair rof cated as fa wholebysthegnum'eral 19;v This v l rigid connection'-witheach-other whereby Valso is infcons'tant'communication withjarela-y lm osphere.

tively smallsteam passage 23 formed in the head 19. Adjacent its ends, the valve 21 is provided with annular depressions 24 which are adapted to alternately communicate with exhaust pipes 25 which are open to the at- As shown in Figure 6, the head 19 is proi videdwith a pair of intake ports 26'which extendfrom the interior of the valve cylinder 2OV to the interior of the .pumping cylindersV 16. These ports are adapted to. alternately supply the cylinders 16 with steam as the slide valve travels to opposite'ends of the valve cylinder 20. inthemanner to hede-l scribed. rl`he admission of steam into the pumping cylinders through theintake ports is adapted` topermit downward movement of pistons 27 mounted to reciprocate inthe Ucylinders 16. rIhese pistons are relatively heavy whereby the weights thereof will assist their downward movement, and each 1s provided with suitable packing rings28. Each of the pistons 27V is further provided with an upwardly extending axial pin 29Y for a purpose to he described.V It will be apparent that the pistons 27 are wholly free from any ractuating means and move freelyV within the cylinder. rThe head 19 isfurth'er provided with a relatively small control valve cylinder 30 in which is mounted a control valve Y 31, as clearly shown inFigure 4. Referring to Figures 3 and 47 it will be seen that the i valve 31 is provided with a pair of .spaced clearly shown in Figure 4', one end of each of thebell crank levers ismounted in one of the'slots 33 while the opposite end of each lever is adapted to be engaged by one ofthe pins 29 as each piston 27approaches its upper limit of movement. Each end of V`the .valve 31 is provided with anaxially eX- ten'ding pin 37 which extends through Va stuffing boX 38 carried b v each end of the head 19. j These pins are adapted topermitV manual Aoperation of the valve 37.V

f Asshown in Figure 2'the aXis of the valve 31 is arranged in the plane of the axes of the cylinders 16, while the Vslide valve cylinder 2O is otl'set laterally therefrom. `The head19 Y Vis provided with a pair of YeXhaustports 39 which communicate at'their'lower ends withl the cylinders -16 and` at their upper ends alternately with the grooves 24. Each V'port 39 alsoris provided with a branch 39whicrh entendstransversely whereby their lower` ends communicate with the interior ofthe control valve cylinder 30.Y The head 19 also is provided with smallports 40 which comvmunicate at their vupper ends with opposite ends of the slide valvev cylinder 2() and at Vtheir lower ends with the interior of the control valve cylinder at a point slightly spaced from the openings at the lower-'ends of the ports 39. YThe head 19 is further provided with a port 41 which communicates at its centralportion with the steam port 23. Op-4 posite ends of the port 41 communicate with the interior of the control valve cylinder as Vindicated in F igure,5,-.the ends of this port Vatalsubstantially low pressure. Referring kto Figure 2, it will benoted that each lower cylinder head 17 is provided .with a socket 42v which communicates withY the interior'oi the cylinder head through a passage 43. A pipe 44 is provided with a ball head 45 adapted to be received the socket 42,' and acap 45 is threaded Vinthe'. socket. This cap'is provided with aninteriorsurface46 which formsa continuation ofthe surfaceofthe socket 42. Each pipe 44 is provided with a check valve 47 which vopens inwardlyrtoadmit water into the interior 'of thecylinders 16. The outer ends of the pipes 44 are connected by a transverse pipe V48 which in turn isconnected by afT-joint49 with a water supply pipe 5 0. `The latter pipe is provided with a globe Aornsiniilar valve 51 for convtrolling the passage of the water. The pipe maybe connected' to a suitable pump 52 whichin turn is connected to a source of water supply through apipe53.` i v The operation ofthe apparatus is as follows:` It willbe obvious that when the device is Vin'normal operation,the'valve 51 will be open to permit the flow of water .into the cylinders. In the position of the parts rof the pumpingapparatus as illustrated inrFigure 4, vthe rightfhand piston27 has just reached the upper limit of its stroke', while the other.

piston has reachedV its lower limit while Y'pumping water into, the boiler through its corresponding p1pe-.18which communicates i ywith the cylinder `through the lower cylinder head 17. lNhen the right'hand piston approachesitsupper limit of movement, the pin 29 contactsA with the corresponding bell crank lever 35 moving' the'free end thereof upwardly to shift the control valve 31to'the rightfto the position indicated in Figure 4. When this `j oositionis reached, steam will Abe exhausted ,fromv the right end ofthe slide valve'(v'zylinder to the'port 40,the latter come I'nunicating with the port 39 through the valve groove 32 and port 39.v Itwillbe understood that at Vthis time', the slide valve 21 .is at the opposite end ofthe cylinder 20 Vfrom the positionshownv in Figure 6. rlhe exhaust"portV 39,V .previously referred to, will I therefore communicate with the atmosphere through valve groove 24 and exhaust pipe 25.

' The groove 32 at the right endy of the valve 31 will be cut 'olif from communication with the corresponding end of the port 41, while similarly the left hand exhaust port 39l will be cut off from communication with the ygroove 32 at the left hand end of the valve- 31.V In this fposition of the parts, the left hand end of the port 41 will communicate with the groove 32 last referred to, whilethis groove also will communicate with the lower end of the port 40 at the left side ofthe apparatus.A Thus steam will flow into the space` surrounding the groovef`22, thencethrough' port 23, the groovey32 at theleft hand end of the valve 31, Vandthence, upwardly into the left end of the cylinder y through port .40. The steam' pressure admitted into" the' cylinder 20 in the manner described moves the slide valve 21 to vthe position Lshown in Figure 6, whereupon steam will flowfaround the groove 22, and thence .downwardlyinto the atmosphere ,will be cut off by the shifting. of the valve 21, Vthe groove 24 moving out ofy the right hand cy1inder16 through the corresponding port 26. At the same time it will be apparent that communication between the upper end of the cylinder last referred to and registration with the pipes 25 and 39. -At the let'tside of the apparatus it will be noted that communicationwill be cutfoil between the groove 22 andl port 26`uponA the movement of the-valve 21, and at the'same 'time communication will be `established. `betweenthe upperend of the left handcylinder and the atmosphere.

Referring-to Figure l, it will be noted that l l l both the cylinders 16 are mounted above the boiler, and .when (water is' admitted to these cylindersit will vbe :obvious thatV the level of this water-will be abovethe level of thejbo'iler water. When ,oney of the cylinders 16 isexhausted tothe atmosphere, the pressure of v y sorted to without departing from the spirit the water supplied by the pump 52 will unseat the corresponding `check'valve 47,. thus permitting the water toflow'into thisfcylinder and to lift thecorrespondingy piston/27. As previously st-ated, the pistons 27 are "of-'subl stantial weight, but the area Vof each is such Y' thata` substantially low Awater pressure is sulicient to elevate the pistons.'vr Therefore theupressure of the water will elevate the piston causing it to move towardthe top of the'l cylinder whereupon the valve shifting move-Y ment previouslyreterred tok will Vtake place.V Y At the same time the admission of steam intoy the other cylinder tends toy equalize `pressure on oppositesides of thef'pi'ston, the lower yendl. of'thecylinder being in communication with theboilerthrough pipes-11-andf18. As prev iously stated,y they .water `in f the last name( cylinderfwillibeffabve the 4level .of that-in thegboiler ,and the ywater in theA cylinder willy vtend to seek the level ofthe-water in the boiler YandthisY action willbegreatly assisted by the :weight "of the rpiston-. 'lhus it will be appar .entthat the pressure exerted will be suliicient `toi'unseat thecheck valve 12 to :permit the waterto `lowiinto theboiler.. Viththe parts .l

inf-.the position shown in Figure 4,. steam pressurefis about tobeladmitted into the right r:rominto the `boiler .while water will :beadmitted into .the left hand cylinder. When jhandcy-linder whereby waterA will iow there? thefpistoninthe lattercylinder reachesthe upperlimitof its movement the bellcrank lever 35 will be-movedfto shift theavalve r31 torevers'ethe.conditions whereby steamwill e he` admittedginto'the left'hand cylinder while.

lthe/other cylinderfwill be `connected-'tothe atmosphere. .v ,e y. .f It will be, obvious that the cylinders 16 :arerrigidly connected to y'each-other only. at

their upper ends.. As steam and water is alternatelygadmitted into Athe cylinders, they lwill alternately' expand l land contract, and

this expansionrand rcontraction isV permitted bygvirtue ofthe construction just'referred to.

The ball .and socket-connections between the l;

pipes 44 and the lower cylinder heads permits thefpipes -44 to rotate slightly about their axes e as the lengths of the cylinders 16 are altered byexpansion and contraction, andV accordautomatic operation 'of the apparatus stops,

thevalve 81 may be shifted manually through I' Vthe axial extensions to be'taken as a'preferred example of the same andthat variouschanges in the shape, sizeand arrangement of parts maybe re- 'of the invention claims.

I claim `Y1..Appvaratus of the character described or the scope of the subjoined `comprising a pair of vertical cylinders adapted to communicate-at their lower ends with the lower portion of a boiler, a piston mounted to reciprocate in each cylinder, a 7

source of water'suiicient to elevate'said pisl tons, a pipe connected betweenA said source vngly no damage will be done to the parts. 11.00

The lengths and transverse connections Voi'fthe water inlet and outlet pipes is such that kthe movement of the cylinders under the in.- liuence of 'expansion and contraction will be yabsorbed by the inherent'flexibility ofl the .1,05r W pipes referred. to. If, for any reason, the f and the lower ends ofsaid cylinders, a check, 'e t valve in saidpipe adaptedl to open topermit. vwater to flow into said` cylinders, a valve cylinder, a valve reciprocable in said cylin.y r`der and movable to opposite ends thereof to alternately connect said first named cylinders to the atmosphere and to the boiler to receive steam pressure therefrom, and means for shifting said valve comprising an auX- iliary valve controlled by movement of said pistons and adapted to alternately deliver fluid pressure to opposite ends of said valve cylinder and to exhaust pressure therefrom.

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a pair of vertical cylinders adapt-- ed to communicate at their lower ends With the lower portion of a boiler, apiston'mounted to reciprocate in each cylinder, a source of Water under pressure sufficient to elevate said pistons, a pipe connected between said source and the lower ends of said cylinders, a check valve in said pipe adapted to Vopen to permit water to flow into said cylinders, a valve cylinder, a valve reciprocable in said cylinder and movable to opposite ends thereof to alternately connect said first named cylinders to the atmosphere and to the boiler 'to receive ksteam pressure therefrom, said valve cylinder beingprovided With a port communicating with each end thereof, and

means for shifting said valve comprising an auxiliary valve. adapted to alternately supply .steam pressure from the boiler to said ports and to exhaust'pressure therefrom, said auX- iliary valve vbeing controlled" by movement of said pistons.` Y

lntestimony whereof I aiiiX my signature. ROBERT LDENNISON. 

